Advantages And Disadvantages Of Solar Energy

Solar Energy Advantages And Disadvantages

Advantages And Disadvantages of Residential Solar Power Systems 2012

In most areas and most situations, the advantages strongly outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to owning your own 2012 residential solar power system.  Cost is one of the biggest drawbacks to buying a solar power system.  Government incentives may help you afford your own system.  These incentives vary from state to state.  You are a good candidate for a residential solar power system if you live in a sunny state, and have good sun exposure to the South and West.  The number of solar panels you will need will vary depending on how much electricity you need to produce.

Advantages of Residential Solar Power Systems

·   As the cost of electricity continues to increase, you will exclude yourself from future increases.  At an average, electric bills go up by at least 6% per year.

·     Solar power systems can cut back on, or eliminate monthly electric bills.

·       It’s exciting to actually watch your power meter run backwards.

·     You don’t have to store the electricity you produce.  All of the extra electricity you create is fed back into the grid. 

·      Your home value will increase with a solar powered system. 

·    If your electric bill isn’t totally eliminated, it will at least lower you into the lower tiers, where you will pay much less for what you do use from your power provider.

·      If your system is large enough, you can actually get paid for the extra power you produce by your power provider.

·    The payout on most purchased systems is approximately 5 or 6 years.  From then on, your electricity is free.

·     If your electric bill averages $500 per month, it’s like making an extra $6,000 a year tax free once your solar power system is paid off.

·     The use of Solar energy don’t cause any pollution like the use of fossil fuel does.  

·     Solar panels can be conveniently placed on the roof of your house, taking no extra space to install.

·     Solar systems can be used pretty much anywhere in the country.  Areas with more sun will be more productive, but modern solar cells will produce some electricity even with cloudy conditions.  

·     Although the initial investment on solar is fairly high, there is very little maintenance expense.

·       Most Solar Systems have a great warranty.  Solar panels are typically guaranteed 20 years or more, while solar inverters (which convert the voltage from DC to AC voltage) are typically guaranteed for at least 10 years. 

·     A residential solar power system reduces the use of fossil fuel and our dependency on it.  It helps us contribute to a green society.

· Government incentives make the initial expense much more affordable.  With a Federal tax credit and state rebates, in some areas, the cost is decreased by close to 50%. 

·     With some of the new programs solar companies are offering, you can lease the system and have no out of pocket expense.

Disadvantages of Residential Solar Power Systems

·     The initial expense of purchasing a solar power system is one of the biggest drawbacks. 

·       Since it takes the sun to produce solar electricity, production ceases when the sun goes down.

·     Clouds, smoke, or other forms of pollution block the sun from getting to the solar panels.  Tall trees can also block the sun and make a solar panel inefficient.

·     When it gets extremely hot, the efficiency of a solar power system is diminished some.

·     Solar panels need to be cleaned off periodically to keep a system at its maximum efficiency.  You may need to get on your roof occasionally to wash off the solar panels.

·     Some areas of the planet aren’t as conducive to sunny weather.  In some of those areas, it may not pay to install a solar power system.

After evaluating the pros and cons of solar energy systems, are you ready to own your own 2012 residential solar power system?